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GERMANY 1 ARGENTINA 0 ... GERMANY WIN THE WORLD CUP ... THEY ARE CHAMPIONS FOR THE FOURTH TIME

23.10 So that's it. A very, very good World Cup. A worthy winner: a young, exciting team who play with skill, pace, teamwork and drive. Congratulations to Germany. And congratulations to Brazil, who put on a superb tournament. Obviously they won't want to talk about The Bad Thing that happened against Germany in the semis, but given that there were genuine pre-tournament fears of major civil unrest, well...

On behalf of the team at the Telegraph, we've loved bringing you these live blogs and all our other coverage, thanks for reading and see you soon I hope. Cheers.

23.00 So here they come, then, the World Champions. Schweinsteiger leads them up, he's given everything for the cause. Hugs and kisses for Angela Merkel. Boy politicos eat this stuff up, don't they? Imagine our politicians if Roy's boys won it. You'd never get Cameron out of his football strip. Obviously this will never happen, but still. Medals all round for the Mannschaft. A really excellent team, they've come through the ranks together, they play with pace and heart and they've got some cracking attacking players. They've got the best domestic league, as well. All things considered, very worthy champions and well done to them.

<noframe>Twitter: Match of the Day - Alan Hansen bows out: "I'll still watch football, but I'd just like to thank everyone who worked on the programme &amp; watched the programme"</noframe>

First European team to win in South America, and the first time a sub has come on and scored the winner in the final. Nice little feather in the cap of the manager Loew.

22.55 Presentation time A rousing chorus of boos for Sepp Blatter and the President of Brazil. Everybody likes to see that. Manuel Neuer up first to get the Golden Glove trophy - a truly hideous effort that looks like it has been designed by a cartoon. Poor Messi has to go up and get the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player. All this tomfoolery is taking an age. The Argentines just want to get the hell out of there and the Germans just want to party. How very FIFA to insert themselves into the story.

Messi now takes his men up to get their runners-up medals. Heaven forfend that anyone should be gracious in defeat, all of them carrying on like their entire families have been killed in a freak yachting accident but hey that's football. Argentina played their part in a decent if not spectacular final and I think on balance second place is about fair. Tight between them and Holland for the minor placings but I don't think you can deny that Germany have been the best side in the tournament. They thumped the hosts in the semis, they beat South America's other powerhouse in the final. That's to say nothing of completely mullering the putatively dangerous Portugal.

<noframe>Twitter: Henry Winter - Messi's a wonderful player but he's not the best player of this <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23WorldCup" target="_blank">#WorldCup</a>. He's not even the best <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23arg" target="_blank">#arg</a> player of tournament; Mascherano was</noframe>

22.40 A hell of a goal to win it, what a finish. Lovely volley from Mario Gotze, perhaps the hardest chance of the night because both teams missed some decent opportunities throughout. Messi a major let-down, maybe not fit, he was pictured seemingly puking on the pitch although in fairness I have seen him do that before so not sure how significant that was.

The best players on the pitch were defenders. Schweinsteiger was a warrior, he was kicked and smashed in the face but he never took a backward step. Boatend was excellent and Neuer in goal was authority personified. Argentina's best player was Mascherano. Messi missed a couple of chances and was only in the game in fits and starts. Argentina didn't have a shot on target throughout, and what more can you really say than that?

Email from Søren H. Assmann

AGERMANY WIIIINS! KLOSE IS WORLD CUP WINNER! Klose is now officially the best, he IS a world cup champion. But what effort by the Germans, by Schweinsteiger, by Lahm, the first golden generation WINS IT WINS IT WINS IT. Neuer, oh my goodness. EVERYBODY there. THEY ARE THE BEST TEAM EVER!! Kindest regards and a beer on me

And here is Kiran Kulkarni

Congratulations to Germany.. Finally the hypocrisy of the Media & Football Fraternity around the world w. r. t. some Lionel Messi has come to an end.. I am sounding awful & stupid here. But first time ever in my life I am rejoicing for somebody's loss (Messi's loss).. WC isn't La Liga.. Germany isn't Real Mallorca... Messi isn't God..

120 mins: Last chance saloon for Argentina. It's Messi bursting forward, and Schweini brings him down from behind. Messi will have one last chance, with the dead ball. Keeper not coming up.... Messi stands over it. The two minutes added time of extra time are up. This is the moment for Messi. There's a delay because Schweinsteiger is hurt and getting treatment on the pitch. The ball is 30 yards from goal on the right. He hoofs it miles over the goal. Well, there will be those who say that Messi is not in the same class as the true greats until he does it at a World Cup. But that's it!

118 mins: Argentina, obviously, piling forward and it looks like they're going to get done on the break. Muller breaks down the left but his stabbed cross just evades Ozil.

117 mins: Rojo down the left, crosses for Messi but his effort lands on the roof of the net.

116 mins: What have Argentina got? A decent move that sees the ball played into the box, but there's Neuer to gather, charging out as is his way.

114 mins: Excellent goal, Schurrle has been some supersub in this tournament, and that was a beautiful run and cross.

GOAL! GERMANY! Finally the deadlock is broken. Germany build down the left, a superb run from Schurrle sucks three defenders towards him, he crosses for Gotze. Lovely control on the chest, and he's smashed a wonderful shot home past the keeper. Germany 1 Argentina 0 (Gotze 113)

112 mins: Loew urges his players to calm down.

Messi, earlier, being sick on the pitch

110 mins: Muller now smacks Dimichelis in the head as they go up for a header,

109 mins: It really is bundle time on Schweinsteiger. He's now been hit in the face by, Aguero, there's quite a lot of claret. He has to go off and the Germans are livid, they want to know why there was no card.

106 mins: Right then. Who has got the juice? The Argentines had a longer, tougher semi-final and a day less to recover. Messi, for one, does not look quite the ticket and indeed hasn't since half time. Biglia and Mascherano both foul Schweinsteiger at once. No bookings, freekick, Mascherano himself clears the header.

<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hayward - Germany have never lost a World Cup penalty shoot-out but Argentina were lethal from the spot against Holland. Could be the OK Corral.</noframe>

HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME: The first couple of minutes of that were decent. Schurrle and Palacio both had good chances, especially the Argentine, but after that, it was a big fat meh. Some emails. Damian Durrant, it's all yours:

Alan, I wonder if it might be a better final if they had an extra days rest. That last 30 mins was pretty flaccid. Maybe have the "Sepp Blatter Bloated Bureaucracy" street carnival in the extra day.

And here is Michelle:

Argentina had their chances. 4 botched chances to score easily. If they lose its not because Germany stopped them.

I forgot to say, earlier, that a streaker got on the pitch

104 mins: Sorry to say it readers but this is now actually pretty boring. Are we already wishing it over and hoping for pens?

101 mins: Mascherano has put in man's toil, as indeed has the player he has just painfully fouled, Schweinsteiger. Poor old Messi just making up the numbers at the moment, wandering around up front 25 yards from the play.

99 mins: Everyone calms down after that moment of excitement. Calms down almost too well.

<noframe>Twitter: Gary Lineker - That finish from Palacio was as pony as his tail.</noframe>

97 mins: Well, you can keep your fancy football. It's very nearly the simplest goal ever. A goal even England could have come up with. Rojo loops a cross in from the left, it goes over the head of Hummels and Palacio's little lift over the onrushing Neuer drifts... wide.

95 mins: Quiet, shall we say, few minutes.

94 mins: Gotze's been a bit sloppy since he came on, he's now failed to get on a ball and sees it run out of play.

92 mins: Germany out of the blocks the quicker, no doubt. Neuer gethers a ball for a throw in and starts an attack. What a tryhard. Messi and Aguero link up well, but that man Jérôme Boateng-Lake is in the wide awake club yet again as he breaks it up.

Here's Klose going off

91 min: We're back playing people. And right from the start the Argentina defence opens up and keeper Romero has to parry a fierce shot from Schurrle.

FULL TIME: GERMANY 0 ARGENTINA 0 So, good luck picking the winner. Only three shots on target in the whole match yet it has been decent quality and not unenjoyable. Messi went very quiet for a lot of that half but still had his moments. Boateng the best of the German defenders. Muller, Ozil, Lahm dangerous but not quite incisive enough. Here's the excellent run Messi made, beating four and shooting wide. Mascherano and Schewini also VG. It's been a defender's sort of game...

90 mins: With three minutes of added time to come, Gotze makes a poor choice to shoot from distance when he had the pacy Schurrle running. As that clock ticks down, Germany have a good position with Muller on the edge of the box but he looks a little tired as he crosses straight at an opponent.

89 mins: So will it be extras? Or will this excellent long ball from Messi find Aguero? No, Boateng - who has been very good - nips in. Alex Scrutton appears to be wigging out quite badly:

I am in room crowded with my family watching a game that people like to get kicked in the face,hold hands on heads and I see guys trying to run.I think it might be 0-0 but I keep nodding of a bit.My mum won't listen so I think I might be watching a comedy series or something.All I know is these guys have bad haircuts.

87 mins: Just a little respite as subs are made, a minor bit of treatment, etc. Loew speaks to Schweinsteiger. A good tacke from Boateng to deny Messi as he was about to shoot.

86 mins: Gotze is coming on and Klose is off, he gets a rousing cheer from the German fans in what will be his farewell appearance.

85 mins: Perez off, Gago on.

<noframe>Twitter: Back of the Net - You'd need a heart of stone not to want Neuer to concede in a comedic manner that was entirely his fault.</noframe>

83 mins: Danger for Germany as Boateng slips, Messi tries to flick through but Aguero also slips over. Neelesh, this is your moment:

This game is panning out just like 1990... I'm calling for a Germany goal in the last five minutes. Possibly a penalty.

81 mins: Lahm and Ozil open up Argentina, and Schurrle has a good chance in the box. His scuffed shot never looked like anything other than a wide miss. Evan Dunn:

Messi goes quiet - he's figuring out that one devastating move that will create the killer opportunity. He strolls just behind the front line, finding a weakness, and then he's gone......wait for it

78 mins: Good position for Germany as they work an opening in the Argentina box, but unluckily for them, the chance falls to Hoewedes, who cannot get the ball out from under his feet.

76 mins: Neuer gathers and looks to release Muller after another dangerous run from Messi. Higuain is off and Palacio is on.

Mascherano doing his bit for the FIFA respect campaign.

73 mins: Messi suddenly in it, he picks the ball up on the right, cuts inside, the Germans are bewitched by his tiny size one feet and he lashes a shot with considerable power over the goal.

71 mins: Messi not had a kick for 25 minutes. Kiran says:

From a 17 year old Pele in 1958 to Andres Iniesta in 2010 via Maradona, Zidane & Ronaldo, football's deities have bent the Sport's biggest occasions to their will.. Messi's record-breaking brilliance over the last six seasons at Camp Nou against Mallorca, Oviedo, Zaragoza & the likes cannot be understated, but until he wins the World Cup, he will never fully stand the comparisons. If not, the Dream Teams, Fantasy XIs & the Newspaper headlines worldwide would indeed remain a piece of Fantasy & an argument suggesting Messi as an Immortal & a "Footballing God" would make little or no sense..

69 mins: Wonderful play by the Germans on the edge of the box, they've opened Argentina up have Muller and Ozil, but Schurrle's touch is that of the proverbial cement mixer. Abhishek writes:

It seems like a game of opposites. On one side, Germany: the advanced, coordinated, machines vs Argentina: the patient, unpredictable warriors... Both highly skilled and with the same goal: To Win..a win both teams deserve for their effort... And it seems like luck and skill will determine the winner.. Who for now seems to be Argentina

68 mins: Duece Biglia, Male Giglia, fouls again, this time Schweini. Be nice to see some football soon, not that I don't enjoy German and Argentine footballers pushing and kicking each other.

Here's Neuer battering Higuain earlier

67 mins: Ref blowing that whistle like he's at an Appy Ardcore party in Bagleys circa 1992, it's all gone radio rental geeze. Biglia, Kroos the latest naughty boys.

65 mins: Very much hoping that this all goes off, big style. Klose brings down Biglia, and there's a freekick that comes to little.

64 mins: We're having some argy-bargy now, if you'll pardon the pun, and the ref's got the card out again as the game gets nasty. Aguero into the notebook for fouling Schweinsteiger.

<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hayward - Don't see that Neuer is entitled to lead with his knee, jumping for the ball, at that height. Higuain lucky not to be out cold.</noframe>

60 mins: Schurrle and Ozil break at such extreme pace that the cross hits Ozil before he can do anything about it. Lahm and Muller also threatening and Germany are now back on top after a bilstering start to the half from Argentina.

58 mins: Anyway Higuain is okay. That could have been a red card. Should have been at least a yellow, surely?

56 mins: Ball pumped forward and Neuer has CLANGED Higuain. Blimey. "Ooh, a six foot four inch German bursting through the air," coos Lawro.

52 mins: Schurrle fouled by Zabaleta, and the ref blows. Lucky for Argentina because that was a good position had advantage been played. Corner comes to nothing because Muller was fouling Rojo. I guess. Hardly touched him IMHO. Still, Muller is a cheaty little so-and-so, so let's not lose too much sleep over that.

50 mins: Been all Argentina since the half, it's Messi now down the right, Aguero feeding him, but cannot get the ball in.

47 mins: Oooh Messi! Oh Lionel. He 's played through, an excellent through ball and, for a change, the offside flag stays down. Messi's through... but he's rolled his shot just wide. Well this is some start from the South Americans. They kept their German opponents waiting a long time in the tunnel at the start of the second dig, dunno if that has rattled the Germans.

46 mins: Anyhow Aguero's first job is to kick off, and soon enough, Argentina have bombed down that right yet again, Higuain shooting wide. Now Higuain is caught offside, looked close to me. Higuain gone right wing, Sergio down the left, Messi in the middle.

21.02 Sergio Aguero is on, Lavezzi, who I thought was having a very good game, is off. Didn't seem injured.

21.01 LOL at Rio Ferdinand saying that he would never let his children wear an Argentine shirt as Beckham's lad is currently doing.

21.00 So the three wise men of the BBC think it will be more of the same: German possession, Argentina on the break. I think this is my favourite email we've had for a while. Hit it, Pamela B

I don't know a thing about football. But my boyfriend is a Berliner which means mandatory attention or the relationship is over so I'm sitting here in Oregon reading your play by play. And loving it. With no idea what the heck you're talking about.

HALF TIME: GERMANY 0 ARGENTINA 0 Decent game. Germany enjoying a lot of opportunity down the right, but Argentina with their moments. Both sides ought to have scored, Higuain after a defensive howler, and then Hoewedes with a free header from a corner.

Exciting 1st half, Argentina to win by 3 goals, Germany to lose their rag in 2nd half, and have 2 players sent off, a disgraceful fitting end...

Neelesh Naik: The first world cup final I properly remember was the 1990 final. The Germans wear wearing their white kit and I was terribly disappointed that Argentina were in their dark blues rather than the traditional stripes. I remember a game where Maradona was obsessively man marked and Argentina were dreary to watch, not that the Germans were any better. However today the German team has evolved into a slick modern eye catching team, whereas the Argentinians even with the talent they have still play a dreary game. So I think Germany to win. 1 - 0.

Fungai Chigumbura: It almost feels like the Argentines have been pulling one over us: barely scrapping by through all the games only to truly turn up when it matters most.It seems to be working so far. Perhaps Higuain should've emulated Mascherano and shaved, it certainly seems to be helping Javier quite a bit. Speaking of Javiers, i almost wish Zanetti had been born five years later, he could've knit the South Americans together more effectively.

45 mins: The half comes to an end with Germany enjoying two good corners from the right. The second one is especially good, and Hoewedes has got above everyone to slam a header against the post! Muller offside as he goes for the follow up. And that's about the lot. Howedes should have scored with that header.

44 mins: Some fine play by Muller as he holds off a man and gets a cross in from the right.

43 mins: Ball comes in from the right, good work Klose, who holds it up well and sends it on, and Ozil, who dummies, but the shot is easy for zombie film pioneer Romero.

42 mins: Game definitely getting a little spicy, nothing major as yet, Schurrle's fouled Biglia. Now Muller's rolling around, as is his way, and there are words with Biglia and Mascherano.

39 mins: Messi! He's giving the Germans a roasting down that inside right channel, he's done Hummels again and Boateng too, nipping into the box like a wee nippy little thing, and lucky for Germany there are just about enough big men back.

36 mins: Muller breaks though. Cuts it back, super ball, and Schurrle cracks it hard at the goal. Very good save Romero, albeit that it transpires that Ozil had been offside.

35 mins: Germany lose it, excellent break from Lavezzi and Messi, and Schweini has to make a vital interception. Neuer deals disdainfully with the corner.

32 mins: Germans are rattled. Howedes, the noted Geordie German, goes into the book for a nasty tackle on Zabaleta.

31 mins: Sub. Poor Kramer, his dream is over. He has not recovered from that whack in the jaw and is taken off in favour of Schurrle, who has been wonderful off the bench.

29 mins: Offside. Excellent move from Argentina. They break down the right - the German left sided defence is nowhere to be seen - and Lavezzi crosses. BRILLIANT finish from Higuain, but a brilliant decision from the other lino this time. Just offside. It takes poor Higuain ages to catch on.

He's galloped off like this , totally bolted like a deranged horse and it takes several seconds for a team-mate to rope him.

28 mins: Schweinsteiger is the first man in the book, for bundling Lavezzi over.

27 mins: Excellent offside decision from the lino on the German right, as Muller is played in.. Offside by inches, and inches away from toeing in that ball as well.

20 mins: Out of the blue, Kroos has totally befouled the furniture. What the hell was he thinking? He jumps up in the centre of midfield and heads the ball back to his own goal... right into the path of Higuain. He has a clear run through on goal and just the keeper to beat. An awful shot wide, as terrible in its own way as the Kroos header. Dear me.

18 mins: Bitty couple of minutes with Muller making the most of a foul and Lawrenson moaning.

17 mins: Kramer's down! He's got a crunchy shoulder in the face from Garay. "They will be watching anxioulsy in the sword-making town of Solingen where he is from. There should be some steel in him then." Oh Guy Mowbray.

15 mins: Argentina break from that set piece, second time they have done that. Left back seems to be the weak spot for both teams...

14 mins: Klose is ruled to have been fouled by Mascherano, debatable. Zabaleta heads the Kroos inswinger clear.

13 mins: Lahm crosses and Demichelis does just enough to put Klose off.

12 mins: Demichelis up to his old tricks, comes forward unwisely and loses it, Chopper Messi is there to clean up his mess.

9 mins: Good spell for Arg, Zabaleta bombing forward and cutting the ball across, fails to pick out Lavezzi and Higuain. Now Messi looks to tee up Biglia whose shot is charged down.

8 mins: Messi went past Hummels like he wasn't there. Schweinsteiger nipped in there and denied Lavezzi.

7 mins: Messi getting into the game, that's a great run down the right but he runs out of support.

5 mins: Germany dangerous. Lahm getting too much space down that right, that was the part of the pitch where they killed Brazil. Muller's cross is cut out by Lucas Biglia.

3 mins: Argentina break from that freekick, it's good from Higuain as he surges down the right, shooting across goal. Michelle McMahon:

Argentina for the win. Germany is too smug. They are walking around saying publicly that the Bundesliga is a superior league to all others, simply because they ruthlessly brutalized a wounded Brazil.

Argentina needs to have a counter strategy to freeing Messi by bringing midfielders forward to give German defenders alternative work and so he can live up to his "anointed one" status. Simultaneously they must threaten goal with their other weapons. A confused German back line may work just long enough to score one or two.

2 mins: Argentina sitting deep, Kramer feeds it to Ozil who tries an ambitious flick through to Klose. Blocked. Rojo has barged Muller over. freekick. Lawro gets a few early reducers in as he says "Ooooh, committee meeting" as the Germans work out who will take it and "Yeah, dancing around their handbags" as the Germans drill it into the wall. Lawro. Oh, Lawro.

1 mins: All Germany early on, they're taking their time and everyone is having a touch.

19.54 BREAKING NEWS and a blow for the Germans. Khedira, who was magnficent against Brazil, is a late change. He's not fit (calf) and he is replaced by Kramer.

19.53 Here we go, then. The players are in the tunnel. They're about to step out onto the pitch.

19.50 This, from the official FIFA website, made me actually splutter with laughter. Dunno if it's a formating error or something, ie they've attributed the wrong quote to the wrong person, of if Sir Mick Jagger is actually a massive stats tragic, but I love it either way.

19.48 Germany could well be a danger from set pieces.

<noframe>Twitter: Michael Cox - I think Germany will have a surprise planned for set-plays. Hummels and Muller obvious targets, so maybe Howedes popping up unmarked instead</noframe>

19.46 An email from Nidhin R:

I am a Brazil fan supporting.... Argentina. All I got to say is that Germans don't have jersey no.10. That says it all

19.44 Tweet savagery.

<noframe>Twitter: James Manning - London Live currently reporting bigger viewing figures than ITV. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23WorldCupFinal" target="_blank">#WorldCupFinal</a></noframe>

19.41 Here's Argentina's genius on whom so much depends.

19.35 An email from delightful regular Soren H Assman;

Here in Germany everyone and their dogs and cats are watching the game. You could go camping on the Autobahnen today, and if you want to cheese off a German Restaurant, order a "delivery" during the game. The tension is high, as is the expectation - German fans all around are quite sure the team'll win this, but after falling just short of the target in five of six big tournaments in a row (2002 WC finals, 2006 WC semifinals, 2008 EC finals, 2010 WC semifinals, 2012 EC semifinals), there's this sense of "what if it goes wrong again" that's stopping us from being all too sure about it. Luckily, I believe, the players are fully focused on winning this game.

Fun fact: In today's starting lineup, 6 of the players were in the winning squad of the 2009 Under 21 European Championship vs. England (Neuer, Höwedes, Hummels, Boateng, Khedira, Özil). Only two (Milner and Hart) even made it into the England squad of this WC. Two of the German players 2009 went on to play for different teams in this World Cup - Dejagah for Iran, and Johnson for the US.

19.26 Two of the last five finals have done to pens. Here's Alan Shearer on penalty shootout.

"That is one hell of a long walk from the halfway line. You tell yourself to stay calm. You have to back yourself to do what you have trained. Don't look at the goalkeeper. If Krul had done that, I would have stood ten yards outside the box and waited for him to go away. I always put the valve of the ball facing up, don't know why. I would always look the opposite side to which I was going to hit it. And never, ever change your mind."

Good stuff, nice insight.

19.23 Sir Derek Beckman! He's loved the World Cup. He always loves the World Cup. He even loved 1998, he says.

19.21 Here is how the teams will line up.

19.18 Here's the team sheet for the World Cup Final, as tweeted by Paul Hayward.

19.16 "All that stuff before the game with Neymar and the t-shirt, their manager let them do that, all that emotion, it took it out of them" - Rio on the Brazil side.

Thank you, Alan, for your excellent coverage of the Cup. I have enjoyed following your blogs; you've helped to make a fan of me. This is the first Cup I've followed closely, and I've learned a great deal about the sport, thanks to you and your DT colleagues whose blogs I've also followed. I hope that Argentina win (I have a great love of Buenos Aires and excellent memories of the week I spent there a few years ago). Here's to their Malbec, as well; I shall be having a few glasses come match time! Baseball is still my first love, but football has found a way to my heart as well.

19.10 Dan Walker sending the Alan Partridge-ometer into overdrive. "In the mighty jungle England's three lions were asleep. Chewy Luis [Suarez] made the news." Can't listen to any more of that. "Chile warmed the world up" now and I'm kicking the TV.

Bleurch. I cannot BEAR this sort of sports journalism. All that lame "think of a little pun" and work it in at all costs rubbish. Just amazing how far that smug, blundering idiocy will get you, though, both in print and TV. Things that sound clever and funny, but only to thick people with no sense of humour. Do. Not. Want.

19.07 A nice Brazilian couple point out that Germany's change strip is the same shirt as Flamengo, so they're backing der Mannschaft.

19.05 Rio Ferdinand reckons the extra day of recovery that the Germans have had over Argentina to rest, ice muscles, etc, could be a big advantage.

19.04 Alan Shearer is expecting the Germans "to be well organised."

19.02 Alan Hansen will be hanging up his punditry boots after this. He says "this tournament has exceded all expectations."

19.00 Wow, BBC going big on the intro, playing footage of all the tournament key moments back, faster and faster, and culminating in a 'Day In The Life' crescendo.

This has been one of the most exciting & the best world cup so far with the best teams deservedly reaching the latter stages & Anglo-Italian rubbish deservedly disappearing as early as possible without wasting anybody's time.

With Fifa's new policy of the host nation's confederation being prevented from hosting the next two succeeding World Cups, it looks like the 2026 World Cup will be held in a Concacaf USA or a Mexico thanks to Russia 2018 and possibly Qatar 2022..

This will leave the opportunity to have football come home to the home of football in 2030, to an England/Scotland/Wales bid, on the 100 year anniversary of the first World Cup. Unless Uruguay smells an English Conspiracy..

18.20 Both excellent basically. hard to choose between them. Let's examine the wine situation in the company of Telegraph wine guru Victoria Moore:

Malbec? It's hugely popular right now - a big, warm bear-hug of a red wine that sells really well and is brilliant with a big juicy steak.

As for Germany, they are the riesling meisters. Not wines that everyone goes for but admired and adored by professionals for an electricity and verve that nowhere else in the world has been able to mimic.

18.15 And Germany. Pilsner, sausages, Gewürztraminer, Beckenbauer, wearing budgie smugglers on holiday, Bowie in Berlin, Iggy Pop, Wind Of Change, were very naughty in the 20th century, Otto Dix, Albrecht Dürer, propping up the ecomonies of several other European countries, our friend Florian, Riesling, Kraftwerk, good cars.

18.10 Let me make the case for both countries.

Argentina, then. Malbec, the Tango, Evita, steaks, had an hilariously terrible economy in the 1970s, stick it up your Junta, the Falklands/Las Malvinas, my missus' lovely friend Gisela, they have pampas, the puma, the Buenos Aires football derby, Maradona, a load of blokes post-Maradona who were all 'dubbed' the new Maradona, Claudio Caniggia going to Dundee, ticker tape in 1978, Ozzie's Knees Going All Trembly.

18.05 So who will you be supporting tonight, and will you have better reasons than Dan here?

<noframe>Twitter: Dan Dawson - Honourary German Update: a guy called Thorsten has bought me a beer and let me share his nachos. I'm a gnat's nadger off getting a passport.</noframe>

Or not. Seems a decent reason to me.

18.00 A magnificently libellous email from Roger Jones about the FIFA guest list there, none of which I can reprint.

What I will say is that I do quite like Christian Vieiri because he's the only Italian footballer I have ever heard of who is keen on cricket.

17.56 An email arrives from Alison Ramage:

Well, I think Germany probably will win, and as a European, I guess I should be supporting them. But.......never mind 'the hand of God'.......nevermind the fuss about 'las Malvinas'. There's something in me that would love to see Argentina win.

Perhaps it's something as simple as just liking Messi which goes back to the time I had to explain to a couple of my business English students a British newspaper back page headline of "You Dirty Dog Messi" That must have been about 2003?

That can't be right, can it? Messi would only have been 16 in 2003; he didn't make his international debut until 2005

17.45 The FIFA guest list really is a thing of beauty. Every time I read it I enjoy it more. Here it is...

17.40 Interesting take from that tweeter there, anonymous coward though they may be. I've never really got that vibe about Messi at all. Never met the bloke, I should add, but he doesn't seem the ego merchant type to me. Just a dedicated, probably rather dull chap who just happens to be blessed with astonishing ability and drive.

<noframe>Twitter: slim - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alantyers" target="_blank">@alantyers</a> Germany, because i don't think the football world will be able to deal with Messi's inflated ego if he wins this too.</noframe>

17.35 Neutral people: who do you want to win?

17.26 Wonder if they have one to the tune of Proud Mary? God, what a band. Fortunate Son, Up Around The Bend, Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,Lookin' Out My Back Door, Down On The Corner.... Very, very hard but I think Lodi might be my fave of them all.

And they hold the record for the most number two singles (five) without a number one (Billboard). Proof, if any were needed, that the General Public are a bunch of tasteless rotters.

17.24 Do we all know about Argentina's fans and their Creedence Clearwater Revival thing? Here, as I understand it, are the lyrics and their (somewhat politer?) translation, which they sing to the tune of the GREAT Bad Moon Rising

"Brasil, Decime Qué Se Siente,

Tener En Casa Tu Papá,

Te Juro Que Aunque Pasen Los Años,

Nunca Nos Vamos A Olvidar,

Que El Diego Te Gambeteó,

Que Cani Te Vacunó,

Estás Llorando Desde Italia Hasta Hoy,

A Messi Lo Vas A Ver,

La Copa Nos Va A Traer,

Maradona Es Más Grande Que Pelé"

"Brazil, Tell Me How It Feels,

To Be Bossed Around In Your Own Home,

I Swear That Even If Years Pass,

We Will Never Forget,

That Diego [Maradona] Out-Skilled You,

That Cani [Claudio Caniggia] Surprised You,

You Are Crying Since Italy [World Cup 1990] Till Today,

You Are Going To See Messi,

The World Cup Will Be Ours,

Maradona Is Greater Than Pelé"

17.23 Like I say, I am excited. Not as much as these dudes and ladies. Holy moly.

17.21 Thanks Mehreen. Hello everyone. Alan Tyers here, very excited to be bringing you news of the big game, which starts at 8pm UK time.

17.20 Two and a bit hours to go until kick-off and it's time for me to hand over to my colleague Alan Tyers who'll be manning the good ship live-blog all the way through to tonight's bittersweet end.

The Blades current co-chairman James Phipps has wished 'Alex', as he was known in the steel city, all the best: "Alex Sabella, Blades everywhere remember you, are proud of you and wish you well in the final.”

17.03 Now that everythings winding down, I'll guess we'll have to start the inevitable recriminations and head-scratching about the state of English football.

To kick us of, Michael Owen thinks there's plenty of lessons Roy Hodgson and co can take from German collectivism. Volk fussball?:

I once asked my good friend Didi Hamann what he considered the biggest difference between German and English football. He defined it to me as follows. “If an English player is booked in a World Cup semi-final, and it means he can’t play in the final, he starts crying on the pitch,” said Didi. “If it happens to a German, he puts it out of his mind and then scores the winning goal. One player is thinking about himself and the other his team.”

The superiority of German football culture over ours can be summed up as an obligation to always put the greater good over any individual needs, a philosophy that applies not only within the 11 players on the pitch but across every level of their game.

The way Didi put it, whether we like it or not, the perception of English football is selfish needs come first. The leagues are looking after their own interests above those of national team, the biggest clubs want less rather than more international football to protect their talent, and some players are more worried about the impact a performance will have on their own reputation.

You could call it a systematic selfishness that is the complete opposite to German football, where if there is a pyramid it is the national team at the top.

16.41 Some doubly sad news to bring you today. The Digital World Cup, the Xboxing parallel of Fifa's staid non-digitally enhanced tournament, also comes to an end today. Here's how things finished on the 'puter.

16.38 The Maracana is readying itself...

16.33 German and Argentine fans descended on St Peter's square this morning, hoping to get Pope Francis to bless their teams. But notorious fence-sitter, the Pontiff only pledged his neutrality at the Sunday prayers, and promised not to pray for any team because he wanted to avoid yet more puns about the Hand of God.

16.25 Contrarian Kiran Kulkarni has enough ot the Messi business:

This isn't a personal dislike but I find it quite astonishing, preposterous & biased to see the name Lionel Messi included in the World Cup Dream Teams of most papers & pundits & in the headlines of print media worldwide. More bizarrely is the local newspaper here in India which goes as far as to say that "God makes it to the final.."

Though he scored against Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria, he didn't look like a "Footballing God" against his first decent opponents & was an isolated figure against Belgium & the Dutch.

I am not sure if the thought of a good German keeper has made his legs weigh 100 kg or is it after scoring insanely against Iran, Mallorca, Real Zaragoza, Oviedo & perhaps Victor Valdez in training?

Why can't people like Mascherano or a Garay get what they deserve?

Omitting Thomas Muller to accommodate the Argentine is a sheer act of desperation by the Media & the Football Fraternity to correct their premature & childish declaration of an Incarnation of Footballing God in Argentina..

He is GOOD but not GOD.

16.22 MORE amazing World Cup women's stats. This one really does take the biscuit.

Hummels' mum Ulla Holthoff was the 1st woman to commentate on a football match on German TV #GER

16.17 That German front-page bought to you courtesy of the Berliner Morgenpost (14.20) has been photoshopped by some scrabble geniuses to now read 'Runners-up' (vize weltmeister). Hat-tip to @tbopatfor the spot.

16.11 BRA <3 GER. Just in case we were in any doubt.

16.05 Miroslav Klose is the only one of this German squad to havepreviously played in a World Cup final back in 2002.

The tournament's highest ever goal-scorer was also 12 years old the last time Germany lifted the trophy, compared to say Mario Gotze, who wasn't even born.

Miro was also involved in the best photo of the World Cup:

Anyway, he'll be fancying his chances tonight

3 - Miroslav Klose has scored 3 of his 16 #worldcup goals against #ARG; only against Saudi Arabia has he scored that many. Final.

15.55 We're having a closing ceremony before kick-off tonight. It's going to be 18 minutes long. EIGHTEEN. And,according to Fifa feature an "on-pitch expression of the sport’s values through four characters – Freedom, Solidarity, Passion and Diversity."

Not yet sure if this means getting all 22 players to read out that racism statement again, but Shakira and Wyclef Jean will be there singing and stuff.

They don't seem too bothered about all that right now though.

15.47 If you're one of those poor, misinformed people who think the World Cup final is like the Superbowl, fear not. Thom Gibbs is here to cast his irreverant eye on the history of the fixture

15.40Big pre-match decision for everyone: ITV or BBC tonight?

15.35 Tonight's strips. Slightly disappointed we won't get one more outing of Germany's Denace the Menace number, but ominously for the Argentines, they'll be in their navy number a la the 1990 final,

15.30 But his Popeness is still very much supporting Argentina tonight...

The World Cup allowed people from different countries and religions to come together. May sport always promote the culture of encounter.

15.25 Alan Smith's worked out how Lionel Messi can be stopped tonight and it doesn't involve giving him a dodgy sandwich before kick-off or anything as predictable as 'man-marking'. His thoughts:

"When Germany say they have a plan, I think it probably entails doing what they have been doing all along – pushing up and squeezing the space to let Manuel Neuer sweep up behind.

By doing this, they will hope to deny the danger man time. Yes, that will mean Schweinsteiger, as the deepest lying midfielder, often being the one to close down and try to get a foot in.

Equally, though, Khedira and Toni Kroos will be aware of the importance of helping out by funnelling back to cover those pockets either side of Messi. In effect, they will want to smother the areas where the little man operates and then break with pace to have a say of their own.

As for Argentina, they can only hope that their talisman is physically capable of going again after looking absolutely shattered in that draining semi-final encounter with Holland. Because if Messi does not have that vital spring in his legs to accelerate away from opponents, he loses so much of his threat.

15.20 A reminder of my fave pre-World Cup final stat so far: Germany's Angela Merkel or Argentina's Christian Fernandez de Kirchner will become the first female of head of government leading a World Cup winner.

15.12 Tonight's final will be featuring this rather fetching yellow and green Brazuca.

15.07 Looking to get one up on Mr Ranting Haggis, one, Raven Tango recalls his favourite World Cup memory:

"The Mexican Goal Keeper Guillermo Ochoa - the man is magic! And the Brazil fans who cheered Germany."

He's less pleased about all the big-screen vanity epidemic that was rife in Brazil.

"The widescreens on stadiums should have a world ban. You see the public who have travelled from around the globe to watch top-class football concentrate on the wide screen than the pitch. And not just them. Players and managers too, STOP IT."

Jason Burt's been handing out his World Cup Oscars. (Spoiler: Oscar doesn't get one). Take a lookat who gets gongs for best individual performance, best goals, best fans and more importantly, the worst team.

14.20 Some front-pages from Deutschland. Take a bow, the Berliner Morgenpost

14.15 Meanwhile, kudos to Sky Sports new for finding the two sole German fans in Rio. They are petrified.

14.10 Accommodation is hard to come by for the 100,000 plus Argentine fans descending on Rio today. They've already endeared themselves to the natives by turning most of the city into a giant blue and white carvan park and looks as if Copacabana beach has been the home of some kipping Argers.

14.00 It may seem facetious to concentrate on bad things when a potentially very good thing is about to start in exactly 6 hours. But, here's the World Cup's Worst XI.

(Iker knows what's coming...)

13.50 Whatever happens tonight, the Argentines have had the chant of the tournament. Here they are trolling Brazil fans with their toe-tapping rendition of Bad Moon Rising.

Lyrics: Brazil, tell me how it feels/To have your daddy [Argentina] in your home/ I swear that however many years pass/We will never forget/That Diego [Maradona] out-skilled you/That Cani [Claudio Caniggia] surprised you/You’ve been crying from Italy until today/You are going to see [Lionel] Messi/The World Cup will be ours/Maradona is greater than Pelé

13.40 These two sides met in consecutive World Cups back in '86 and '90. Their last encounter may have been have been nothing to write home about, but lest we forgetthis five-goal thriller in Mexico City.

13.35 From the best named person on Twitter:

A closer affair than is widely expected- argentina to pip it 2-1 messi & aguero & muller to score @MehreenKhn

13.25 Jeremy Wilson's been with the Argentine fans partying their heads off in Copacabana beach this morning. Not a German or a beach towel in sight.

13.15 And your Golden Boot candidates for player of the tournament. Six of them could be involved tonight...

13.10 Here are Fifa's candidates for Young Player of the Year (the criteria for qualifying is to be born on or after 1 January 1993, which means Adam Lallana misses out by a mere 5.5 years).

I'm Team Pogba for what it's worth.

13.00 The World Cup trophy will be handed over to either Lionel Messi or Philipp Lahm by Carlos Puyol and model Gisele Bündchen.

Canny choices from Fifa who are covering their backs in any eventuality. Puyol of course speaks Spanish (like the Argentines), while Gisele is of Brazilian-German ancestry and even has an umlaut in her name. Wunderbar.

12.50 This is the Best World Cup ever. Or so says Jason Burt and lots and lots of other people (me, too).

The stars have been the forward players: James Rodríguez, Neymar, Arjen Robben, Alexis Sánchez, Lionel Messi, Thomas Müller and Karim Benzema. And so many of the goals have been outstanding: Rodríguez’s stunning volley against Uruguay, Robin van Persie unique header against Spain, Tim Cahill’s strike against Holland, Chile’s team goal against Spain. The list goes on.

There has been tactical variation and great coaching from the likes of Louis van Gaal, Joachim Löw and Chile’s remarkable firecracker Jorge Sampaoli. The underdogs, too, have barked. Not just Costa Rica but Algeria and Chile – and none of them tried to achieve success by ‘parking the bus’. Then there was the United States and Ghana and even Iran.

When else has there been a World Cup in which the holders were thrashed 5-1 in the opening match and failed to get through the group stage, as happened to Spain?

Better than 1970, won by the greatest international agglomeration of talent ever assembled? Better than 1982, with its Technicolor Brazilians, madly celebrating Italians and a heart‑warming cameo by snappy underdogs Northern Ireland?

And what about France ’98? Like a proper drama, that was a World Cup that built and built, sustaining its excitement right to its conclusion. Played in fine stadiums which did not appear to be under military siege, this was the competition illuminated by sumptuous goals from Michael Owen and Dennis Bergkamp, in which every municipal fountain anywhere across the country seemed to be occupied by a cheerful Scotsman in a kilt.

It was also a competition in which the host nation embraced local expectation, rather than withered under it, playing with panache and style until the very last kick. That was the tournament against which every World Cup must be measured.

And, while pushing it close, it will take an exceptional final for Brazil 2014 to surpass it.

12.40 A very good question from Leah Kreitzman...

Is this the first time a World Cup final has been played between two teams with women heads of government? #WorldCup2014#ARGvsGER

And the answer, Leah Kreitzman (if my Googling is correct), is yes it is.

Indeed, whatever happens tonight the World Cup winners will be led by a female head of government for the first time ever. The last female incumbent as head of state for the World Cup winners was our very own Queen back in 1966.

And lest we forget, hosts Brazil are also led by a woman president - Dilma Roussef. A cause of celebration if ever there was one. Angela Merkel is DELIGHTED.

12.30Fifa's official website for this World Cup has been a joy to behold. Here are their mugshots of the two managers going head-to-head tonight.

One of them looks like he's definitely just won the World Cup...

12.20 Javier Mascherano is as much the poster-boy of this dogged, obdurate Argentina side as that boy Messi. Masch has been through the wars at this World Cup and recently revealed that he "tore his anus" running back to challenge Arjen Robben in the last minute of normal time against Holland. Tore. His. Anus.

"I thought I had slipped, I thought I wouldn’t make it, but I tore my anus on that move, the pain...it was terrible" said Masch. "I threw myself into it. I could have been sent off. It could have been a penalty but anyone could have done that, I had the luck to get there."

Yes, 'luck'. That's definitely what that was.

Anyway, the Barca man has also put in twice as many anus-tearing tackles as Philip Lahm, don't you know (H/T: SSN).

12.10 Tomeh Bangura is predicting the Head of God will win it tonight... "Messi will win tonight's match and the World Cup final with a headed goal."

12.00 Right, so here we are then: 63 games, 170 goals, and 31 days later, Argentina (who most people thought would probably be here before the tournament) take on Germany (who weren't really given much of a chance). It all seems a very long time ago since Pitbull's strange trousers and Marcelo's OG opener against Croatia.

Will Leo Messi finally give us the World Cup winning performane we all he's got in him? Angel Di Maria - will he make it? Will Joachim Loew dispense with his navy shirt for a white one maybe? T-minus 8 hours until we find out.

I was still in nappies the last time these two teams met in a World Cup final, and by most accounts it was an absolute stinker in Rome in 1990. So no more of that tonight please. We don't want more Christ the Redeemer face-palming.